Stark Differences
by LucyC-96
Summary: Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist - Tony Stark has it all. But, when a letter arrives in the mail from an old flame, telling him he has a daughter, Tony's at a loss about what to do next. Roxanne's a Stark, whether she likes it or not, and she has to take everything that comes with the name. Perhaps she'll find something worth sticking around for. (Eventual Steve x OC)
1. Chapter 1

Tony's eyes were fixed on the letter in his hand. He had a daughter. And by his calculations, she was at least 24. The letter had appeared completely out of the blue. But it was bound to happen someday, the young playboy days he had, the many anonymous hook-ups – it was inevitable that one day he'd find out that somewhere out there, he had a child. But he kind of thought that he'd find out when they were still, y'know, a _child_.

According to the letter, however, if it weren't for her mother's current circumstances, there was a chance he'd have never known at all. Apparently, illness has a way of suddenly making you want to reveal the identity of your bastard child to the man you slept with only once, over two decades ago. It wasn't that Tony blamed her, but the realisation that you'd missed so much of your child's life was not an easy thing to think about.

But it was the letter's parting request that concerned Tony more than anything – _'When I'm gone, I want you to promise you'll take care of her.'_

At the top of the page there was an address. He needed to see her. He needed to find out why she'd kept their daughter a secret for so long.

Tony hated hospitals. There was something foreboding about them. In his life, he'd only known them as a place of loss – and the one thing that could've changed that, the birth of his daughter – he hadn't even known about. And okay, this wasn't exactly a hospital so much as a hospice, but it still had that same clinical atmosphere that turned his stomach.

As he approached the room he'd been directed to, he slowed down a little. It had been a long time since he saw Carrie Teller. In a long line of one night stands, she was a standout memory – not only for the sex (though that had been pretty great) – but how she put him at ease. Growing up a billionaire he'd never been short of girls who threw themselves at him – Carrie wasn't like that. She'd made him work hard. They met briefly at a party, and he'd chased her around all night trying to persuade her to have a drink with him. Eventually she caved, if only to get him to stop. But she intrigued him, she was mysterious, and from the moment they'd started talking, Tony was captivated.

In the morning she'd disappeared, and he moved on, thinking he'd never see her again. Boy, had he been wrong.

He knocked the door gently, before opening it and the normally confident genius mustered up all the courage he had, to meet the somewhat surprised gaze of the woman in the bed. She looked tired and the sparkle she'd once had was all but extinguished. Pale and thin, Tony felt his heart ache at the sight of her.

"Tony Stark, in my room?" Carrie smirked, her voice at least hadn't changed. Warm and comforting, Tony felt himself relax almost instantly. "Didn't think I'd see you again."

He took the seat next to the bed, taking a moment just to _see_ her, before he began to speak. "You wrote me a letter to tell me I had a daughter and thought that I wouldn't want to come talk to you about it?"

"I don't know what I thought. I guess I didn't think you'd get here in time."

Realising her meaning, the thought hurt the genius more than he cared to admit. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, Carrie?"

"I knew what you were about when we met. The thrill of the chase meant more to you than the endgame, Tony, you weren't ready to be responsible for your own life, never mind someone else's." She struggled to sit up and Tony stood quickly, moving the pillow to a more comfortable position behind her, to which she mumbled a thanks, "Then, by the time she was born, it stopped being about you. It was about her, Tony. I didn't want her to grow up like you did, in the public eye, the press waiting around every corner for her to slip up. And I didn't think it would matter – I could cope, I could love her enough for two. But when I got my diagnosis, I knew I needed to tell you, even if you didn't come. I didn't want her to be alone."

Tears fell onto her ashen skin, her eyes now more green than hazel. "What's her name?" he asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Roxanne," Carrie gave a small smile, "Roxanne Maria Teller."

His eyes widened, a sadness creeping into his gaze at the mention of his mother's name. "I'm not completely heartless, Tony. I wanted her to have something of you."

"So what now?"

Carrie shrugged, "I don't know, I wish I did."

"I should meet her, right?"

"I'd like that," she sighed, "But she doesn't know about you, and she's already not dealing with this well. I don't want to overload her right now."

He nodded, but his head took a different view. He needed to meet her, while she still had Carrie around to answer her questions. Though he didn't need to worry Carrie with that, all he had to do was take a chance with Roxanne, try to build a bridge. Saying his goodbyes for now, he left a tired-looking Carrie to her sleep with one goal in mind – finding his daughter.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Access public records – look for a Roxanne Maria Teller." Saying her name aloud somehow made everything seem more real. His breath caught in his throat, heart hammering in his chest – he had a daughter. Roxanne was the name of _his_ daughter.

"I've found a possible location for Miss Teller, sir." He was going to _meet his daughter_. "But you may not like it."

"Teller! You're out."

Roxanne cracked open one eye, lifting her head a little to see the officer that stood in the doorway. Pulling herself up to a sitting position before she got to her feet, pushing her bed head out of her eyes. "Jim, it's been a pleasure, as always," she smiled, walking past him and out of the cell. Drunk and disorderly. It wasn't the first time and it definitely wouldn't be the last, but when people found out her mother was dying, they seemed to let a lot of things slide. They usually just locked her in until she sobered up, then let her out in the morning.

"Your belongings," the officer said wearily, handing her a small plastic bag with her keys, cash, shades and cellphone inside, which she took, giving him a wink before heading outside. The sun seemed brighter than usual, but perhaps that was just the hangover talking. She squinted in the bright light, slipping the shades on to cover her eyes.

"Roxanne?"

She turned at the sound of her name, and for a moment she swore she was still drunk. Standing no more than six feet from her, leaning curbside on a very expensive car was none other than tech-genius billionaire, and Iron Man himself, Tony Stark. "You're Roxanne?"

"I'd ask who you are, but I already know." Sliding the shades down she opened her eyes a little wider, having adjusted to the light, and raised a brow, "But I can still ask how you know who I am."

"I'm a friend of your mother's."

"Likely story," she scoffed, "I'm guessing you're the one who bailed me out," he nodded, "Thanks."

Roxanne slipped her cellphone into the back pocket of her jeans before tossing the now empty plastic bag into a nearby trashcan. She turned back to Tony, "See you around."

He looked a little blindsided for a moment as she went to move off, heading on her way. "Wait!" She didn't know why she stopped, but she did. "Don't you think you kind of owe the person who just bailed you out?"

Roxanne sighed, facing him again, "What could I possibly give Tony Stark that he doesn't already have?"

"A moment of your time," he answered smoothly, cocking his head to one side. "And maybe a coffee."

He couldn't believe she was sitting in front of him – his daughter. Like a perfect blend of he and Carrie, she had his dark hair and slight olive complexion, but her eyes – they were exactly like her mother's. Long, dark eyelashes framed hazel eyes that seemed in a constant flux between brown and green as the light caught them through the window. And when she spoke her voice was just a little husky, like her mother's, a kind of Lauren Bacall throwback that made it seem as though she knew more than you could ever hope to. But he could see now what Carrie was talking about – she was struggling. Dark circles stood out against her strung out and paled skin, and even across the table Tony caught the faint smell of stale cigarette smoke and alcohol that had permeated her clothes.

The waitress stopped at their table, filling their cups to the brim with coffee, the rich smell seeming to jolt the life into Roxanne, who sat up a little straighter to grasp the cup. "Why exactly did you bail me out?" she finally asked after taking a long drink.

"Well, it turns out I'm your father."

Roxanne gave a sudden laugh, causing her to choke a little on her drink, "Okay Darth, sure you are." When he didn't react, she stopped. "You can't be serious."

"I only found out a few days ago. Carrie – your mom," he stumbled a little through his words, he hadn't expected this to be quite so difficult. "She wrote me a letter to tell me about you. So, I just thought that-"

"What? You just thought that you'd come here and drop that bomb on me over coffee?!" Roxanne's outrage was a little more than he had prepared for, but he couldn't exactly blame her, in retrospect this may not have been the best course of action. "Why? Why wouldn't she tell me? Why wait until now?"

"She's got her reasons, Roxanne. Your mother cares about you."

"So she left it to you to tell me?"

He looked away, "Actually she doesn't know I'm here. I thought this would be a good chance for us to talk."

For a while Roxanne sat silently, her eyes focused on Tony as though she was trying to pick out the similarities between them, a human lie detector hoping to discover the truth. Eventually she stood, shaking her head, "You thought wrong."

"Where are you going?"

"Away from here."

Tony got up to follow her, "At least let me drive you somewhere, so I know you're safe." It seemed like the fatherly thing to do.

"Look, I've spent 24 years without you, _Tony_. I think I'll be fine a little longer."

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **New story :D Let me know what you think!**_


	2. Chapter 2

He'd gone about this all wrong. That much had become blatantly obvious to Tony after his meeting with Roxanne. He should've listened to Carrie, of course he should have – she'd raised Roxanne, she knew her better than anyone. And now he might have actually soured that mother-daughter relationship by going in all guns blazing.

He'd take a day – the suit needed some touch-ups, or at least that was the excuse he'd make for himself for staying around a little longer somewhere he wasn't entirely sure he was wanted anymore. But there was something unsettling him, a lead weight in his gut, a nagging little feeling that something was wrong.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir?" The crisp British voice came, attentive as ever.

"Where is she?"

In an impulsive moment, Tony had attached a small tracking device to Roxanne's cell while she drank her coffee. He'd seen the look in her eyes, he'd seen it in his own, and it might have been a stupid idea, but he needed to know that wherever she was he could find her. Where the sudden fatherly impulse had come from, he couldn't say, perhaps he was making up for what his own father lacked.

"Hospice of Michigan, 400 Mack Avenue."

She was with her mother, good. Except it was 10pm, well past visiting hours, she shouldn't be there. Something was wrong.

Before he knew it, he was outside the hospice, still suited up, much to the shock of the elderly janitor, who had to look several times just to be sure what he was actually seeing. "Hey," Tony gave a small awkward wave as he powered down the suit, and walked through the door. The janitor returned it, watching as the visitor made his way further into the building, too stunned by the billionaire's appearance to stop him.

Tony retraced his steps from the day before, heading toward Carrie's room for the second time in as many days. He opened the door carefully so as not to make any noise in case Carrie was sleeping. But, he wasn't so lucky. Inside, Roxanne slept on a couch by the window, bathed in the soft light of a table lamp, a bottle sitting on the floor beside her.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" She might have been whispering, but Carrie's words were as harsh as if she'd been shouting loud enough for the whole building to hear. He turned to her, eyes downcast much like a chastised child. "I told you she wasn't ready. I told you she was having a tough time right now – but _NO_ , the great Tony Stark won't listen to anyone but himself."

He moved closer to the bed, keeping his voice low also, "What happened?"

"An hour before visiting hours were over, Roxanne burst in here, blind drunk, wanting to know why I hadn't told her about her father," she said sternly, eyes hard. "Imagine my surprise when she tells me about the coffee she shared with you _this morning_. Only a few hours after I talked to you about not doing exactly that."

Tony huffed, "She's my daughter too, Carrie."

"For about a week!" She raised her voice for a moment, but noticing Roxanne stir slightly, she lowered it again, "Tony, you can't just walk into her life and drop that on her. Not at a time like this."

"I didn't think-"

"No, you didn't. I had to beg the nurses to let her stay here, if she left I don't know what she'd do." Carrie's face was lined with anxiety, "Recklessness is clearly one of the things that passes down through Stark DNA."

Tony sighed, looking over to Roxanne's sleeping form on the couch. She seemed younger somehow as she slept, as though all the worries in her life had ebbed away. "It can't be that bad."

"She almost died Tony!" She yelled, covering her mouth quickly, as tears filled her eyes. Both expected this to wake their daughter, but all she did was shift position, curling up as she turned herself towards them. When all was safe again, Tony returned his confused gaze to Carrie. "When I first thought that something was wrong, I went to get tested. I didn't tell Roxanne because I didn't want to worry her, but the hospital called to say they had my results. Roxanne picked up. They didn't tell her any more than they _had_ them, but it was enough for her to know I'd lied to her. She asked me and I told her what the results were."

She paused, "And?" Tony urged her to continue.

"She left, and I didn't know where she'd gone and I couldn't find her. Roxanne has never lost anyone before, I'm all she's got. That night I got a call from the hospital – Roxanne had been in a car accident. The hospital said her blood alcohol was point 2 and she tried to drive. The car was hit, it flipped and the impact broke three of her ribs, crushed one foot, dislocated her shoulder, fractured her jaw and punctured a lung. They told me the internal bleeding was so bad that if they'd been twenty minutes later operating, I'd have lost her." The tears ran down her face, as she swallowed hard. Tony felt his chest ache, just the idea of Roxanne being so hurt caused him pain, he couldn't imagine having been there as Carrie was. "I sat by her bedside for three days waiting for her to wake up, and then helped her through four months of recovery. She made me promise not to lie to her again and I wanted to tell her about you then and there, but I couldn't."

"You should've told me sooner; I could've been there. Or at the very least you should've told me when I came to see you yesterday. I just thought you were worried what Roxanne would think, I didn't realise what had happened," Tony had been by Happy's side when he was in the hospital, and that was difficult enough, but seeing your own child's life hang in the balance like that, it was too much for Tony to even consider.

"You should both come to New York," Tony said instinctively, continuing before Carrie had the chance to interrupt, "I can help keep an eye on Roxanne, get her any help she needs, and I can get you the best care money can buy. Please, let me do this, Carrie."

"I don't know Tony, that's a lot to ask of you-"

"You're not asking," He cut in, "I'm offering."

She sighed, "I need to talk to Roxanne about it, I can't make this decision."

"Just consider it." Carrie nodded, and there was quiet for a moment.

"No way I'm going to New York," Roxanne mumbled, sitting up on the couch and rubbing her tired eyes. She reached for the bottle, but finding it empty, she slumped back against the cushions. "Especially not with you. You can't just walk into our life and uproot everything."

She stood, taking a cigarette from her pocket, "I need a smoke."

Both her parents watched as she left the room, but something in Tony snapped. They were trying to help and he especially wasn't going to let her speak to her mother in that way. Giving Carrie's hand a light squeeze, he got up, following Roxanne from the room.

"Wait a second."

This time she kept walking, "Why?"

"For your mom." She turned back, eyes narrowing in a way that said she was listening, however begrudgingly. "No one knows how long she's got left, but if you two come to New York with me, I promise that for the time she has left, she will have the very best care. So, if you're not going to do this for me, or yourself, Roxanne, do it for your mom."

Her eyes had softened, if only a little, and Tony could see how her mother's illness had truly affected her. Behind the tough exterior, she was a child afraid of being alone in the world. And Tony knew that – he'd _been_ that child. If he could change that for her, he'd move heaven and earth to make that happen.

But, she turned her back on him again, and continued to walk.

"Fine," she mumbled in the quiet of the hospice halls, just loud enough for Tony to hear. He smirked a little at the victory, backing up to return to Carrie's side.

There was hope for them yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Massive thanks to** **Pandora** **who left me such a lovely review 3 and to everyone who favourited and followed the story - hope you continue to enjoy it!**

Tony watched as Roxanne leant her head against the window of the plane, if it was anyone else he'd have thought they were asleep, but even with the relatively short time he'd known Roxanne, he knew different. She was distancing herself. From him, from the situation, from everything, he didn't exactly know but it also didn't matter. He wanted to let her have the distance. Well, for now anyway. A sudden arrival into a parental role didn't afford him much in the way of the right to reprimand her.

Her eyes were closed, but her fingertips tapped the armrest rhythmically, and with no headphones or music playing, it had to be more of a nervous twitch than an unconscious movement. Carrie had been moved a couple of days earlier, as soon as he could get the help arranged at the building in New York. As much as he didn't want them to be bunking in the tower with the rest of the Avengers around more often than not, there was no other option, not since the Malibu place was destroyed. And Tony couldn't help but think that even if the Malibu house was an option, it would've been far too isolating for Roxanne, and as much as he wanted Carrie to be comfortable, he wanted her to be comfortable as well, and LA wasn't a place to go to unprepared for the insanity it contained.

"How long until we get there?" Roxanne asked quietly, her eyes staying on the world outside, watching as it passed by underneath them.

"About a half hour," Tony replied, "Then a twenty-minute drive into the city." She nodded slowly, before she leant her head back against the seat, and Tony noticed that she was taking deep breaths. "You okay?"

"Just kind of a nervous flyer."

That, at least, explained her twitches and closed eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? We didn't have to fly, we could've driven."

Roxanne shook her head, "I miss my mom. I wanted to get back to her the quickest way I could."

Tony watched her, as she tried to calm her nerves, "I get it, y'know. The flying thing."

She scoffed, "I bet you do, Iron Man."

"It started after I put on the suit," her eyes flicked back to him in disbelief, "Really. Back when New York was attacked…something happened. Since then, I find it difficult to fly. Not impossible, but difficult. But I do it – when there's people who need me – I do what I have to. Just like you're doing for your mom. It's like a muscle, you exercise it enough, and eventually it gets easier."

There was a sadness in Roxanne's eyes that he could only see as close as he was now, or perhaps it was that she was letting her guard down a little. He couldn't imagine what it was like knowing that you were going to lose your mother, he'd lost his own so suddenly, and he'd been trying to come to terms with it ever since, but here was Roxanne living every day knowing that her mother could be gone soon. It broke his heart. There was no way he could say he was ready to be a father yet, but he was ready to be whatever she needed him to be.

He went to get up, Roxanne's eyes were looking teary and he thought she might want him to leave her for a little while. "Tony?"

At the sound of her voice, he turned back quickly, "Yeah?"

"I don't know how to have a dad."

It was such a simple statement, but the weight of it sat heavy with them both.

Tony shrugged a little, "I don't know how to be one. But we can try. Together."

Roxanne didn't say much else on the way into New York, and given that they had made the tiniest of breakthroughs, Tony wasn't about to push her for more before she was ready to give it. When they arrived he first showed her the room when she would be staying and then quickly steered her towards Carrie's room, the place he knew she really wanted to be.

There was a moment where Tony just had to sit down and take a load off, the craziness of the past few days hitting him like a wall. He'd called ahead to Pepper to let her know that he was bringing Carrie and Roxanne back to the tower and she decided that she would stay away for a couple of days so they could all get settled in. If he was honest, she just sounded thrilled that he had some other family in his life, however reluctant they seemed to be. She said that 'it would be healthy for him to be around people who weren't super-people'.

So, he had to survive without Pepper for three days. Three Pepper-less days. He could do that. Well, at least he hoped so.

Footsteps coming down the stairs made Tony leap to his feet. Roxanne walked into the lounge, a hand combing through her thick, dark locks, she stopped suddenly seeing Tony. "Hey, how's your mom?" he asked, eager to avoid any awkward silences.

"She's…okay," Roxanne shrugged, before heaving a deep sigh, "She's tired."

"You don't look so hot yourself there, kid," He raised a brow, "It was a long journey, you should get some rest."

She nodded, but instead of leaving to go to her room, she slumped down into one of the chairs. "Can I ask you something?" Tony desperately wanted to protest, but given that she was actually talking to him now, he didn't want to ruin it, so he nodded. "When my mom sent you that letter, why'd you come?"

In all honesty, Tony didn't really have a good enough answer for her. Impulse seemed too heartless and cold, interest sounded false, like something he _should_ say, rather than what was true. "I don't know," he answered, as honestly as he could, because that was the truth – he didn't know why he went. "But I knew if I didn't, I'd regret not going. I'm a man of my word, Roxanne. It may not mean much to you now, but it's the truth."

"What did she ask you to do?" Roxanne wasn't stupid, she knew there was something about the letter he wasn't telling her.

"You should ask your mom-"

"I'm asking you."

He sighed, it was going to come out sooner or later, so it might as well be now. He'd deal with the consequences, whatever they might be. "She asked me to look out for you…after she's gone."

Scrubbing a hand over her face, Roxanne pursed her lips in frustration, "So you came out of pity? Because she's dying?"

"No!" He spoke ardently, sitting forward as though to try and make her listen. "I wanted to see your mom again…and I wanted to meet you. You're my daughter, Roxanne, and I spent twenty-four years not knowing you existed. I needed to meet you."

She was silent. It was still a lot to process, and he knew that. A week ago, Roxanne had no knowledge of her father, and now, not only had her father suddenly arrived in her life, he was Iron Man himself, the billionaire whose name was rarely out of media scrutiny. "I'm just gonna go work on some stuff," he was as vague as possible – there was always something he could tinker with, but he was really just saying it to get out of there. It felt a little like a conversation neither of them wanted to be a part of any longer than they had to be. This whole father-daughter thing was still very new, and, well, awkward to say the least.

Roxanne watched as Tony escaped the room quickly and she had to admit she was glad. Any longer and she might have said something she regretted. She didn't know why it kept happening, it wasn't like she wanted to keep arguing with him and snapping at the things he said, but there was still a lot to process about this, and no amount of questions she could ask would be able to clear her mind.

But, instead of wallowing in her confusion, she decided to explore the building. Starting with finding the kitchen. Tony was right, it had been a long journey, and she _was_ tired, but she was also hungry and in these situations, food came first. Plus, it was still early, and she didn't want to sleep yet.

She was thankful that Tony was who he was when it came to the kitchen – stocked up and fully equipped, it was every food lover's dream, not that she could imagine that it came in particularly useful when Tony wanted dinner – she didn't exactly see him as too much of a chef. Not that Roxanne could judge, she wasn't going to be winning any cooking competitions any time soon, but she could keep herself alive without ordering takeout, so she counted that as a win. Opening the fridge, she stuck her head inside searching for something to eat, anything that she didn't have to put too much effort into.

"Hey, Romanoff, there you are," a deep, unfamiliar voice came from the other side of the kitchen. Roxanne shut the door, to see a well-built, surprised blonde in the doorway. "…You're not Natasha."

She shook her head, "Nope, sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, I just saw legs. I didn't expect Tony to have a visitor," he gave a tight smile, blushing a little.

" _Visitors_ ," she corrected him.

The man seemed flustered now, stumbling through his words, "Oh…I didn't—I…is that a – thing people do? Three people?" Roxanne's brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing a little in confusion, so he continued to try and explain himself, "It's just, I know Tony has a lot of _female friends_ , but I thought he was with Pepper now and-"

"Oh, dear god no, please stop," she covered her eyes, as if it would somehow rewind time to before he started talking about her dad's sex life, "Nooo. No. I'm actually… Tony's daughter. Me and my mom are staying here for a little while."

His jaw slacked, seemingly relieved by this, "So Tony has a daughter?"

"Yep, that's me," she nodded, before holding out her hand, "Roxanne."

"Steve," he smiled, shaking the proffered hand.

It finally clicked in her mind, "Right. Captain America."

He nodded with a humble smile, leaning against the doorframe. She'd seen him on the news before now, but it was different seeing him in person like this. He was only a few inches taller than her, but his body was broad and large, far larger than it seemed in pictures. "So, how long have you known that Tony was your dad?" he asked, seeming genuinely interested.

"Really not long at all," she gave a little laugh, "I'm still kind of in shock."

"I can understand that. Took _me_ a while to get used to Tony, and we're just friends." Steve gave her a comforting smile, "But, your mom and Tony, they're…"

She could tell her didn't want to ask her directly, so she shook her head, "Not since they made me," it was clear that Steve wanted to ask more, "She's sick."

"I'm sorry."

It was weird, no matter how many times she told people about her mother's illness, it never got easier to talk about, it just made her want to close up completely. But, Steve had been so nice to her, she didn't want to throw it back in his face by reacting badly, so she thought it might be better to just excuse herself.

"I should probably go check on her," she forced a smile, "It was nice meeting you, Steve."

"You too."

He watched as Roxanne stepped past him, making her way to the stairs. She seemed so different to Tony it was hard to see that they were related. Then again, he'd known Howard, and he and his son were different men. Steve paused for a moment, taking in the slightly odd fact that Roxanne was the third generation of Stark he had known.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update - I've been snowed under with work! But, nevertheless, here is the next part for you to enjoy! And Roxanne is spending a little more time with a certain friendly supersoldier...**_

"So, this place is nice, huh?" Carrie gave her daughter a weak smile, waving her hand around a little to gesture at their new surroundings. Roxanne nodded just a little, still uncomfortable with the sudden change and the rather extravagant location they now found themselves in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked suddenly, still desperate to try and make some sense of everything in her head, while she still had her mother around to answer her questions.

Carrie sighed, weakly pulling herself up to a seated position, "I know you don't understand, Roxanne, and I'm not sure whether there'll ever be a way I can make sense of it for you. But, when I met your dad, he was about as old as you are now, and he was…affected. The way he grew up, always in the media spotlight, and it changed him into this very charismatic, charming young man who seemed like he wanted for nothing – but he didn't have anyone who really loved him after his parents died. And that takes its toll on a person. He made a lot of mistakes, and because of his name, he never got to make them privately. And I didn't want you to grow up like that. Tony wasn't in a place where he could be a father, and I didn't want to put that pressure on him. So, I know it might seem unfair to you that I kept this a secret for so long, but I did it to protect you – both of you."

"But why not tell me when I was sixteen, or eighteen, when I was old enough to understand?" Roxanne's eyes filled a little, out of frustration, rather than sadness. "If you hadn't gotten sick, would you have told either of us at all?"

"I hope so," Carrie answered honestly, "It's difficult to say, honey. The more I waited, the harder it got and the thought of how you'd react, and how Tony would react – it terrified me. If I told you, you could've ended up hating me – both of you – and I know that seems selfish and a stupid reason not to say anything sooner, but I didn't want to take that risk. So, I honestly hope that I would've told you, Roxanne, but I can't say for sure."

There was quiet for a little while, as Roxanne sat, watching her mother watching her, both of them somehow trying to gauge how the other was feeling. Suffice to say that Roxanne was glad that there was a knock at the door, as it gave her an excuse to ignore the issue for a moment longer. Opening the door, she came face to face with Tony.

"Hey, I just came to talk to your mom," he gave Roxanne a slightly odd look, as she nodded, walking past him out of the room without another word. Tony walked in, looking between Carrie and the now-empty doorway, "Did I say something?"

"No, I think I did," she sighed, "She wanted to know why I didn't tell her about you sooner."

"I think she's just trying to work it out."

"I know, but this is what she does," Tony sat on the edge of the bed as Carrie continued, "When she doesn't know how to deal with something, she pulls away, doesn't speak, like she's worried that if she tries to say something, she'll say something she regrets. It happened before, and you know how that ended up, and I _want_ to believe that it's not going to happen again, but I can't get away from the thought that it might."

He might not have been there last time, but Tony could understand the desire Carrie had for nothing to happen to Roxanne again. There had to be something he could do. He couldn't follow her everywhere she went, she was a grown woman, but surely there was a way to keep her busy and find out how she was feeling without making her feel as though she was being crowded. "I might have an idea."

It was a long shot, but it could work.

"Cap!" Tony called out as he entered the gym, seeing the blonde's head pop out from behind one of the punch bags. "I need to ask you a favour."

The supersoldier began to unwrap his hands, walking over to him, "First let _me_ ask _you_ something – since when have you had a daughter?"

"Apparently twenty-four years, but to my knowledge – a week – give or take."

"Wow," he nodded, "So, this favour?"

"It actually involves Roxanne."

Steve's brow furrowed, "What?"

He didn't want to get involved in their whole family dynamic, and as Tony explained what he was asking of him he was getting further and further from wanting to help, but when he told him why, Steve couldn't help but agree. It was clear that Tony cared about Roxanne, and it was a refreshing change in the man, besides, he'd enjoyed talking to Roxanne when he met her, and spending a little more time with her wouldn't exactly be a hardship.

Roxanne lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Perhaps she'd wake up tomorrow and all of this would be sorted in her head. She'd know exactly how she felt about this whole situation and she'd be able to walk downstairs and call Tony 'Dad' and be okay with that. Or, it would be another day of confusion and quiet as she tried to work out exactly what to say to her mother, and to Tony, but for now she'd stay here, staring at the ceiling. Though the blank white surface was doing absolutely nothing to help her.

"You know, I've never considered the ceiling to be all that interesting, but maybe you're seeing something that I'm not," Steve's warm voice came from the doorway, and Roxanne turned her head to face him. "Should I leave you to it?"

She sat up, shaking her head, and Steve felt that he should continue, "I was thinking I could show you the city now you're here. It might do you good to get out for a while." She looked a little uncertain, "Come on, don't make me beg." He grinned.

"Fine."

As they walked through the New York City streets, Roxanne felt just a little overwhelmed by the masses of people around them. Steve didn't seem all that bothered, hands tucked into his pockets, cap pulled down low. "You do know that's a terrible disguise, right?"

He laughed, "I guess, but I feel better wearing it."

They kept a relatively slow pace, and Roxanne was surprised at how relaxed she'd begun to feel, though her head still swirled with unanswered questions and unfamiliar emotions. "So, didn't you have any super-plans today?"

"I cancelled," he said with a smile, "Needed a day off."

They both laughed, enjoying the companionable atmosphere, but their laughter was cut short as they turned the corner, eyes settling on the newsstand. Right there on the front page of a magazine was a slightly blurred picture of her with the caption:

 _'TONY STARK'S HIDDEN LOVECHILD?'_

Roxanne walked over and grasped a copy of the magazine, opening it to the article of the same name, the story surrounded by grainy pictures of her and Tony from when they had arrived at the tower the day before:

 _'Sources close to Stark have told us that the billionaire playboy has recently found out that he's a daddy! But, we're not talking about a cute little baby here, folks – it seems Tony Stark's daughter is well into adulthood if these pictures are anything to go by. Stark, the subject of numerous stories in this magazine, has been considered a playboy for many years, as was his late father Howard – and it seems that the reputation has finally caught up with him. But, we've been told that there's no love lost between Stark and his daughter, who has been cold towards her father since learning of her father's identity. Why so sad, Miss Stark? We'd give our left arm to be a part of that tech dynasty! No news as yet on the name of this secret lovechild, or her mother, but our sources have said that Tony has moved them both into the 'Avengers Tower' and there's no sign of them leaving anytime soon.'_

"Shit," Roxanne mumbled quietly, before quickly retreating to the tower, leaving a confused Steve in her wake to hand the guy on the newsstand a couple of dollars before he took off after her.

They were met back at the tower by a flustered Tony on the phone. "What the hell is this?!" Roxanne shouted, throwing the magazine onto the coffee table.

"I'll call you back, just get here as soon as you can," he finished his phone call, hanging up before turning to a seething Roxanne. "I don't know how they found out. All my staff are being questioned as we speak, and when I find out who it was, they're going to have to leave the country to be able to get another job."

Roxanne sat, head falling into her hands, "I can't believe this is happening…"

"I just called Pepper, she's on her way back and she's gonna do as much damage control as she can with this. But, it's gonna mean that we'll have to draw up a statement that'll be released to the press. They know about you now, we can't put that cat back in the bag, but we can set the record straight."

"What about my mom?"

"They'll know as much or as little as she wants them to know. Right now, Roxanne, these are decisions we can make – and a press release allows us to make those decisions. Pepper's the best in the biz, god knows she's saved my ass more times than I can remember." Tony sat down next to his daughter, as she tried to process what was now happening. "But, it does mean that things are probably going to change for you now that they know who you are. And as much as I wish I could change that, I can't. All I can do is prepare you for it. Pepper should be here in an hour, I'll get her to talk to you about what happens now and how that'll affect you. Okay?"

She nodded, eyes still downcast, "I'm gonna go call her back, see whose magazine I have to sue, and what asses need to be kicked."

Roxanne's world was beginning to cave in and there was nothing she could do to stop it – she was a Stark now, whether she liked it or not.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for all the favourites and follows, you're all awesome! :D**

"So, I'm guessing that you're not going to want to go in front of the cameras with this?" Pepper asked, as they revised the press statement together. Roxanne shook her head, she didn't care whether Tony went on TV to tell the whole world about her, but she didn't want a part of it. As it was, the pictures that the press already had of her were blurred, so it would be difficult (but not impossible) to identify her from those – she didn't want to give them herself on a platter. "That's fine. If this statement is okay, I need you to sign the bottom of the page, so we can put everything in motion."

Roxanne liked Pepper already, she knew the lay of the land, and she always spoke diplomatically with a comforting smile. So, signing the bottom of the statement, Roxanne gave a deep sigh, looking back at the woman who sat beside her. "Is that everything?"

"For now," Pepper smiled again, "I know this must be difficult for you, but you're dealing with it well. And hopefully, when we release this to the press, the storm will die down."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Roxanne, we're going to protect you and your mother as much as we can. Tony, he knows how to charm the press, and it's my job to diffuse situations like this, so between us we're going to fix this."

She was just about to give Pepper her thanks when two men came out of the lift, neither of whom she recognised. Pepper stood, putting her business face on, "Can I help you?"

"We got a call from Mr Stark."

"Regarding?"

One of the men went to answer, when Tony came down the stairs, "Gentlemen, this way please. Quickly as you can." The men ran past Tony up the stairs, "Second on the left."

"That's where my mom is," Roxanne leapt to her feet, moving quickly across the room, "What's going on? What happened?"

"She's having trouble getting her breath, so I called the doctors."

"Two of them?"

"I don't take anything without a second opinion," he smiled.

Roxanne pushed past him to get up the stairs quickly, walking into her mother's room. In the bed, Carrie wheezed, desperately trying to catch her breath, seemingly to no avail, coughing and spluttering as the doctors began to test her. A hand came to rest on Roxanne's shoulder, "Maybe we should wait outside while they do what they have to," Tony spoke carefully, not wanting to push, "I promise she's going to be okay, they'll take care of her."

She couldn't do anything but nod as she watched her mother struggle, knowing there was nothing else she could do to help right now. Following Tony out, as he closed the door behind him, the two of them leant against the wall, Roxanne not wanting to stray from her mother's side and Tony not wanting to leave her on her own. There was a comfort to not having to sit on her own, Roxanne had never found this before, never had anyone else to look out for her and _look after_ her while Carrie was getting worse. And in this moment she had to admit that she was thankful for Tony's presence.

They could hear the doctors moving around Carrie's room, their hushed conversation doing nothing to put Tony and Roxanne's mind at ease. Eventually, Tony found that the quiet in the hallway was becoming a little too much, "So…I hear you and Steve are getting on pretty well."

"Can we not do this? I'm not sixteen, Steve's not some kid at school. He's barely even a friend."

"Fine," Tony sighed, "This press release-"

"Let's not talk about that either."

Tony turned to look at her, "Nope, I'm sorry. I don't like it either, but that's something we do have to talk about," Roxanne sighed, but said nothing, "Pepper's worked it out, and it's happening later today, this way we'll be able to get the jump on the journalists. Get the truth out there before they've got a chance to spread a whole lot of lies."

"I don't know whether I can do this," she spoke in a quiet voice, "I can't be in the spotlight like you are. I've fucked up a lot, and I don't know whether I could cope with the whole world seeing it."

"If that's what you're worried about Roxy – don't be. I've been in this game for a long time, and I still haven't got my shit together. But, you'll get better at dealing with it, you'll find it easier to just be you – fuck-ups and everything. It's written into the Stark DNA."

Roxanne laughed a little, before facing Tony again, "Roxy?"

"Yeah, well, 'Roxanne' is a little long for me. 'Roxy' – that's snappier," she laughed at his casual shrug, "I'm a very busy man, my time is expensive."

Both laughed together, and for a moment at least, Roxanne forgot just what her mother was going through in the next room. Remembering, the laughed petered out, and her eyes lingered on the closed door beside her. "I can't do this without her."

"Hey, she's not going anywhere yet, Roxy," Tony spoke reassuringly, "I know the best doctors out there, and they are going to do everything they can to help your mom. Now that you guys are here, Carrie is getting the very best help she can. These doctors, they'll get her more time."

Roxanne nodded stiffly, tears filling her eyes, as the door opened, the doctors stepping outside. "Mr Stark, can we have a moment?"

Tony took Roxanne's hand comfortingly, "Anything you need to say, you can say in front of her. Carrie's her mother."

The doctors nodded, one of them stepping back to let the other take the lead, "Miss Teller is displaying all the symptoms of pneumonia. Given the toll her illness has had on her body; the immune system is much weaker than it should be. She's not able to fight the pneumonia as we would like and it's making her considerably weaker than she already is."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Roxanne asked anxiously.

The doctor sighed, "Unless your mother begins to respond to the treatment we've started her on, her health will continue to rapidly decline. She may not have as much time as you thought."

Roxanne's grip on Tony hand tightened instinctively upon hearing the news, "Isn't there anything else you can do?"

"We're doing everything we can."

"Thank you, doctor. Both of you." Tony cut in, as Roxanne stood speechless.

The two walked away, leaving Tony and Roxanne by the open door of Carrie's room. Roxanne removed her hand from Tony's, going inside to see her mother hooked up to a second drip, a mask over her mouth connected to a tank of oxygen at the bedside. She looked so much weaker and frailer than before, it seemed that the full extent of her illness had caught up with her. Tears began to fall onto Roxanne's cheeks, as she rushed to her mother's bedside.

Tony closed the door, knowing that the two of them needed some time alone. He still had to sign off on the release, and that would be more of a help to Roxanne right now than him hanging around her and Carrie.

"So, you're happy for me to go out there and say this?" Pepper questioned, brandishing a page with the agreed-upon press release.

Tony nodded, "I don't want Roxanne to be named. It's better for her that way."

"Okay."

"Go get 'em," Tony gave Pepper a kiss before moving her to the side of the stage.

In the quiet, all that could be heard was the sound of Pepper's high heels as they clicked on the flooring. When she reached the podium at the centre of the stage, she was faced with the sea of press – journalists, photographers and camera men stood in front of her. She could hear the whispers, wondering why it wasn't Tony up there, why him and his daughter weren't making a big show of their new relationship.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, and they all sat up straighter, "You're all here today to hear all about Tony Stark's daughter. I imagine you're wondering why you haven't heard about her sooner, and some of you might even be wondering why it is that I'm the one up here talking to you and not Mr Stark. Well, after speaking with Mr Stark and his daughter – who will not be named, to preserve what little anonymity she still has – they came to one very certain conclusion. It is nobody's business but theirs. This news has been a major upheaval in both of their lives and they would like to ask for you to respect that, and allow them to work through this together, as a family, without your judgement and speculation. Mr Stark would also like me to add that anyone who _does not_ respect their wishes at this delicate time will face numerous expensive lawsuits that will bankrupt your publication. No questions will be taken now, and I thank you for your time."

Pepper walked away, as the journalist began to shout they're questions, cameras flashing behind them. She nodded at Tony, who smiled warmly at her as she walked down from the stage.

"You did great," he pulled her into a kiss.

"I should be saying that to you," Pepper grinned, "The way you've stepped up to protect Roxanne. There was a time when you would've insisted on facing them yourself."

"I couldn't trust myself to stay on message. And I didn't want to risk blurting out Roxy's name and ruining everything."

Pepper linked her arms around Tony's neck, "I'm proud of you, Tony."

"Wanna show me how proud you are?" He grinned, pulling Pepper closer.

"I'm serious," she giggled, "I like seeing this side of you. Papa Tony, the big bad dad."

Tony cringed, "That makes me sound like an old man."

"Hate to break it to you, but you're now the older Stark," Pepper smirked, "And you're Roxanne's 'old man'. So far, you're doing a wonderful job."

"I owe her this. She reminds me so much of me at that age – she good be great, Pep. But she's sad and she's angry, and she's losing control. Carrie has done an amazing job raising Roxy, but there's only so much she can do now and it's my turn."

Pepper could see the anxiety etched in his features, "What did the doctors say?"

He swallowed, "She hasn't got much time. And when it happens, it's gonna hit Roxy hard," Tony tightened his grip on Pepper, "All I can do, I try to be ready for it."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's favourited and followed - you guys are awesome!**

Roxanne sat at Carrie's bedside, watching as her mother slept. Her eyes were heavy, but she could not sleep, not while her mother was still so ill. The oxygen mask was still strapped to her mouth, and an IV drip was attached to her wrist. But, Carrie was still here, she was still fighting.

"Flagging a little there, kid." Tony's voice came from the doorway behind her, but Roxanne didn't turn, her focus remaining on Carrie.

He moved further into the room, coming to rest a hand on Roxanne's shoulder, "You need to get some sleep."

"I'm fine."

"I don't care. Your mother would kill you and then me if she knew you weren't getting any sleep because of her."

"I don't want to leave her alone," Roxanne's voice was small, and Tony could see her as a terrified child, worried for her mother. It broke his heart.

"She won't be alone," he sat beside Roxanne, "I'll stay with her while you go and get some rest. I barely sleep anyway."

She turned to face him, as though silently asking if he meant it, to which he simply gave a tight smile that he hoped would reassure her. "Go on, kid. Sleep it off."

Reluctantly she stood up, pushing her dark locks back. Now they were eye to eye, Tony could see just how scared she was, and he desperately wanted to comfort her somehow. It was too early to hug, he knew that – they'd made progress since she and Carrie arrived, and he didn't want them to go backwards. So, playing it safe, he opted to rest a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. It was enough for now, he knew that as Roxanne gave him a tired smile.

He watched her walk out of the room and was overcome with a wave of guilt. Sitting down, he looked at Carrie's pale, unconscious form. When she died, Roxanne would be left with him - a man who was virtually a stranger to her. He'd missed so much of her life, and soon he might be all she had left. Finding out he had a child that he never knew about was one thing, but finding out that child was a fully formed adult was a whole other issue. Roxanne needed him, but at the same time, she didn't need him at all. She would say that she was old enough to take care of herself, and yet he could already see that behind her eyes she was falling apart.

And he could only hope that she would lean on him when the time came.

Roxanne wandered down to the kitchen, in the hopes that if it at least _seemed_ like she was making an effort to get some rest, Tony might let her back into her mother's room. And yet, she _was_ tired. But, she didn't to miss anything by sleeping – if her mom really had as little time as the doctors thought, then she could be gone before she even had the chance to…well, she didn't even know what. But she knew that she wasn't ready to lose her mom – was anyone ever ready for that?

"We've gotta stop meeting like this."

Looking up, Roxanne saw that Steve was leaning against the counter. She didn't even hear him come in. His smile fell when he saw her expression. "You look tired."

She smirked at the concern in his voice, "Such a charmer."

"I try," he grinned, coming closer to where she stood. "You should go to bed."

Roxanne looked away again, "I can't." Her voice was small, and for the first time, Steve felt as though he was being given a glimpse behind the walls she'd built up to protect herself.

"Why?"

"Because, what if I go to sleep and she doesn't wake up?"

He could see her eyes filling up a little, "That's not gonna happen."

"But what if it does?" She chewed on her bottom lip, "I can't sleep thinking that I might not get to see her again."

Steve took her hands in his, forcing her eyes to his. "Roxanne, you _need_ to sleep. Your mom would not want you to make yourself sick to show how much you care about her. She already knows." And though she seemed to be thinking over his words, Steve knew that he wasn't going to win this way. "Okay. How about you sleep for a couple of hours? I'll sit with you, and wake you up after you've had a chance to rest."

She shook her head, "You don't have to do that."

"I know," he said, steering her out of the kitchen, towards her room. "But I'm gonna."

Roxanne turned on the light in her room, and in Steve's eyes it seemed to reflect her perfectly. There were boxes stacked in the corner, still sealed, and one case open in the middle of the floor with clothes thrown all over the room. In the short time he'd known Roxanne, there was one thing he knew for sure – you only saw what she wanted you to see.

She sat on the edge of the bed, "Y'know, sleeping's usually easier if you're lying down," Steve sat on the other side, his back against the headboard. She turned, and he patted the bed beside him, "Come on, just try it out."

"You're not gonna leave until I lie down, are you?"

"I am not gonna leave until I've seen that you've slept, at least a little."

Reluctantly, she lay back, "Why are you doing this for me?"

"Because I know what it's like," he said, distantly. "My mom was ill too."

Roxanne turned onto her side to face him, "What was she like?"

Steve leant back with a small, sad smile. "She was the best," he lay down, facing Roxanne, "I was the scrawniest kid. I had asthma, and I was allergic to like, everything."

He chuckled a little, "Not to mention I was getting beat up every day. But she didn't yell, she didn't cry, she just patched me up and told me that one day it was all gonna get better – that someday I'd be someone people looked up to."

"I guess she was right."

"I guess so. I just wish she'd lived to see it."

Roxanne smiled, "Sounds like he always saw you as a hero, even if you didn't."

Steve kept talking, until Roxanne drifted off to sleep. He had to admit that, despite the circumstances, he'd enjoyed being with her like this – talking to her about how his life used to be. It felt good to know that he'd helped her, even in this small way, because he'd been there, and he had Bucky. But, the hours were going by, and Steve was beginning tire. Roxanne hadn't been asleep long, and he never slept for very long anyway – all those years in the ice took care of that. He closed his eyes for just a moment…

He woke with a start, sunlight streaming in through the window of Roxanne's bedroom. He looked beside him, where Roxanne still slept soundly. A smile spread across Steve's lips, as he gently moved away the hair that hung over her face. But, as quickly as it came, his smile disappeared, replaced with confusion. If Roxanne was still asleep, then what had woken him so suddenly?

His heart sank as he heard thunderous footsteps come down the hall. Jumping out of bed, he rushed to the door in time to see Tony running towards him. The genius paused for a second, clearly confused as to why Steve was coming out of his daughter's room – but it quickly passed, and he pushed past the captain into Roxanne's room, where she now sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked to Tony, still half asleep, and after a moment her eyes widened, some understanding passing between the two of them.

She leapt out of bed, running past Tony, who tried to stop her, as well as Steve, who looked between the father and daughter, concerned. She kept going, Tony close behind her, and when she finally the room where her mother was, it felt as if she stopped breathing.

On the monitor beside her bed was one flat line. No peaks and valleys. No heartbeat. Nothing.

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Her mother was gone.

And she never got to say goodbye…


	7. Chapter 7

Two days passed in near-silence for Roxanne. People spoke to her, explained what happened, gave their condolences, and yet it all sounded as though she was beneath the water, their voices muffled by the waves. But she did not speak – she couldn't. She heard them, she nodded, she shook their hands and accepted their embraces, but that was it.

Roxanne didn't say a thing from the moment her mother died.

And that didn't sit well with Tony.

It was left to him to plan the funeral, and everything that went with it. The others helped where they could, but there was little they could do. And with his daughter on auto-pilot, worry was beginning to cloud Tony's mind.

"Do you want me to go?" Steve said, from behind Tony, who stood outside Roxanne's bedroom door. "She might talk to me."

Tony took a step back with a sigh, "No. She's not gonna speak to anyone, not yet."

"What makes you so sure?"

Steve followed Tony down the hall, as he headed back towards his workshop, "Look, we haven't known Roxanne long, we can't push her, especially not now. When she's ready, she'll talk. Until then, all we can do is wait."

"Stark, the funeral is tomorrow. Someone needs to talk to her."

"And I will. When the time is right."

"And when will that be?"

"I don't know!" Tony snapped, wheeling around to face Steve. "I don't know. I have _no idea_ what I'm doing, but I'm all she has left, Steve, and I'm not gonna mess this up."

The captain slowly began to nod, "Okay," he placed a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder, "Is there anything I can do?"

Tony sighed, fingers raking through his beard, "Just try to keep the rest of the team downstairs. If she comes out, she's not gonna want to see anyone."

"Consider it done."

Roxanne lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The rapidly diminishing daylight was the only sign she had that time had passed. She couldn't move. She didn't want to. If she left the room, people would only want to talk to her, and she wasn't ready for that. Her eyes were tired, but she couldn't sleep and if she did, it was just too painful to wake up and relive it all again.

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door, but Roxanne didn't move.

"Roxanne?" Tony's weary voice filtered through the wood, "Can I come in?"

She said nothing, barely even acknowledging the sound further than a small glance to the closed door. The handle turned, and slowly Tony pushed open the door, closing it quietly behind him. It was dark, but he didn't turn on the light, and Roxanne had to admit she was thankful for that.

"Roxanne?"

He could see she was awake, blinking her eyes in the dark, and from what he could see her face was a blank canvas, devoid of emotion. "I know you probably don't want to see me, or anyone, right now," Tony sat on the other side of the bed, so as not to encroach on her space, "But I wanted to check on you…"

He paused, fingers picking at the bedcover nervously, "And tell you that the funeral is at 11, tomorrow morning."

There was silence. It stretched so long, that Tony thought he might have imagined the almost imperceptible nod that Roxanne gave. He touched her hand briefly, before getting up. Walking through the darkness, back to the door, he opened it, turning to see the artificial light bathe his daughter's form. Her face was so pale he would've thought she was a statue, were it not for the steady rise and fall of her chest and she took shaky breaths.

Closing the door, Tony fell back against it. If he thought being a dad would be hard before, it seemed almost impossible to him now.

In the morning, Tony would've been lying if he said that he was sure that Roxanne would be ready and waiting to go to the funeral. But, it was 10:30 when he went into the kitchen and saw her there, ready and waiting, in a crisp black dress, her long, dark hair, hanging down her back. She was still so pale, with dark circles under her eyes that told him she hadn't slept, not that he was surprised.

"Hey," he said quietly, as he came to stand beside her.

"Hi," she murmured, without looking at him.

It was the first time that she'd spoken to him since Carrie died, and he was glad to hear her voice, however small it was. And yet, even just hearing that one word, he could hear that she sounded different. Her voice was flat, void of emotion, as though if she let herself feel anything at all it would destroy her from the inside out.

But, she was here. She was up and she was ready, and for that much Tony couldn't have been more proud of her. He stood up straighter, holding out a hand to his daughter. Her eyes went to the outstretched hand, before looking up to meet his eyes. Her hazel eyes were made all the more green by the redness that surrounded them, bloodshot and raw from tears, it almost broke Tony's heart in two. "You can do this," he said simply.

Roxanne's eyes flicked between him and the proffered hand, as she swallowed hard, her jaw tensing as if to build up the courage to move forward. Slowly, she slipped her hand into Tony's uncertainly. He tightened his grip just a little to try to comfort her.

"Let's go."

The service was small, just those who inhabited the tower, but it was simple, just as Carrie would've wanted. Roxanne listened to the empty words of the priest, who spoke as though he knew her mother, though they hadn't spent so much as five minutes with her. She respected the effort to try and ease her mind with lovely words of the great beyond and the wonderful afterlife that her mother would be welcomed into, but right now, it all just seemed like well-intentioned, but hollow words. She'd long since let go of Tony's hand, feeling somehow suffocated by the closeness.

"I'd like to hand over now, to Carrie's daughter, Roxanne, who's going to say a few words about her mother."

Lifting her head up, Roxanne took a deep breath, stepping forward to take the priest's place. Letting out a deep breath, she balled her hands into fists in an effort to try and stop the tremors that ran through them. "This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Harder than finding out about my mom's condition, and so much harder than watching her fade away."

Roxanne swallowed, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. "She was all I had for so much of my life. The only family I ever knew. And when you're a kid you think that everyone just lives forever," she said with a small, sad smile. "But it's not true. And it's the cruellest thing you can ever experience to _know_ that the person you love more than anyone else in the world is going to leave you, and be given a time that that's gonna happen. It feels like someone's taken your heart in their hand and crushed it…"

She trailed off, seeing Tony wipe a tear from his eye. Behind him, the other Avengers stood with solemn looks, some looking close to the brink of tears. And looking at them like that…it made her angry. They met her mother for all of five minutes, and here they were pretending to feel what she was feeling. Or at least that's what it seemed like in her sleep-deprived, grief-stricken state. But, as ridiculous and unreasonable as it sounded, that's exactly what it seemed to her.

She felt a hand on her arm. Looking up she saw that the priest was standing next to her, a look of concern on her face. "Roxanne?"

"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth, letting her anger slowly take over. "But, you know what's worse than anything else? This. Seeing you people – you _strangers_ – acting as if this is somehow your loss. Crying like you knew her, coming to her funeral like you need to grieve."

"Roxanne?" Tony stepped forward, concerned with her sudden change.

She gave a hollow laugh, finally letting tears flow freely down her face, "I'm done here."

Wiping her eyes, she pushed past Tony, and Steve, and anyone else who stood in her way. She couldn't stand being there anymore, and though a small part of her could see that she was overreacting and she could hear her mother chastising her for being foolish, but it wasn't enough to stop her.

Tony worried about Roxanne from the minute she disappeared, but he knew that following her straight away would only cause more trouble, so he stayed back. But, as the hours wore on and he didn't hear from her, Tony's worries grew, and when J.A.R.V.I.S. told him that she had returned to the tower not long after she left the funeral, but only to change before leaving, his worrying reached its peak. Gathering together the tower's residents, they all split up, each taking a different area of the city to look over, combing through the streets, checking everywhere they could for Roxanne.

But, when the skies began to darken and Tony had heard nothing, he called around every hospital in a panic – both wanting and desperate not to hear his daughter's name. Right now, he just wanted to know where she was, no matter where that happened to be.

He got his wish.

"Mr Stark," J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke through the earpiece Tony was wearing. "It seems Miss Teller has returned to the tower."

"What? When?"

"Just this minute, sir. But, I'm afraid that she's in rather bad shape."

Tony's heart sank as his mind went back to what Carrie had told him about when Roxanne had found out about her illness. It was bad then, he could only imagine what she would be like now.

He opens the comms link to the other Avengers, "Everyone back to the tower – now!"

By the time Tony returned, the others were already there, though not one of them knew what to do. Out on the balcony that overlooked the city, Roxanne stood. Right on the edge. "Jarvis, how's she doing?"

"I believe Miss Teller has had rather a lot to drink, sir."

It was exactly what Tony didn't want to hear. "What do we do?" Steve asked anxiously from Tony's side.

He swallowed, hard, before sighing. "You and Bruce, go find something to calm her down. I'm gonna try and talk to her."

Steve nodded quickly, he and Bruce heading in the direction of the lab. Tony turned back to the others, "Stay here. I don't want to crowd her."

Never had his footsteps sounded so loud as they did as he walked slowly towards Roxanne. He stopped a few feet from where she stood. He didn't want to startle her, or force her to move further to get away from him. He too stood on the edge, and from here he could see her profile as she stared out at the city.

"Roxy?" He said quietly, keeping his voice light.

She turned to face him and he let out a small gasp at her appearance. Her bottom lip was split and there was a red mark across her cheekbone that looked as though it would soon turn into a bruise. She gave a breathy laugh, before turning back to the view again. "Leave me alone, Tony."

He could hear the slur to her words, and that combined with the slightly unsteady way she stood, told just how much she'd had to drink. "You can't do this, kid."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"She wouldn't want this-"

"You didn't know her!" She turned back to him sharply, "Don't act like you did."

Tony shook his head, taking a careful step towards her. "I didn't have to know her, to know that she wouldn't want you to kill yourself, Roxanne!"

"Well, she's not here anymore!" Tears had begun to stream down her face, and Tony tried to keep his eyes on her as he saw Steve and Bruce creep over slowly from the other side of the balcony. Roxanne took a shaky step closer to her father in order to lean in close to his face, still perched on the edge, "And I would rather be _there_ with her, than here with _you._ "

He refused to let her bitter words get to him – she was drunk, and when she was drunk her remarks got all the more cutting. She sneered at him, before turning away, leaning forward a little. "You think this will help?" Tony played for time, as Steve and Bruce got ever closer.

When Roxanne spoke again, her voice seemed hollow again, like it had before her mother's funeral. "I think it'll stop everything from hurting so much," Bruce was coming up to her now, Steve close behind him. "I'm so tired."

"Of what?"

"Everything."

She looked at him, her tears starting anew. Steve threw an arm around her waist, pulling her back. Roxanne clumsily tried to release herself, but her movements were halted as Bruce put a needle in her neck.

Her vision began to darken as Tony put a hand on her cheek, tears in his eyes. She just barely heard the words he said before she collapsed into Steve's hold.

"It's gonna be okay."


	8. Chapter 8

Steve carried an unconscious Roxanne through into her room, laying her out flat on the bed, Bruce, who was on his tail, got to work hooking her up to an IV. Tony looked at the doctor as though to question why, "To keep her hydrated. I don't know how much she drank, but I know she's gonna need this," was his reply.

Tony scrubbed a hand over his face as he took in the sight of his sleeping daughter, her face cut and bruised, a band aid on her neck from Bruce's needle, and Steve couldn't help but notice, when looking at the billionaire, that this sight alone seemed to have aged him. Tony looked over to the door, seeing the other Avengers stood outside.

"Wanda?" The young woman stepped into the room, "I want you to look inside her mind, I want to know what she's thinking."

Her gaze was sceptical, "Are you sure that's wise-"

"I need to know!" He snapped, before taking a deep, calming breath. "Please."

Wanda nodded, walking past Tony to the side of Roxanne's bed. She sat down on the mattress beside her, resting a hand on the girl's forehead. All was quiet as the witch closed her eyes, her hand glowing red as her powers delved deeper and deeper into Roxanne's mind. Those outside the door decided that their place was not here, and so they departed, leaving only Wanda, Tony, Steve and Bruce to remain in the room.

Minutes passed, and eventually Wanda pulled back her hand gently, so as not to disturb Roxanne. She stood, turning to Tony. "She feels as if she is alone. The one person she had always relied on in her life is no longer here, Tony, and now she feels as if she has no one else."

"That's ridiculous," Tony muttered, "She has all of us."

"That may be," Wanda continued, "But she's known you for 10 days, Tony, she had Carrie her whole life. Right now, it is as though she lives with strangers. In a world, she does not know. And that scares her. Beyond that, she feels guilty. She was not with her mother when she died – she left her – and a part of her believes that it is her fault."

Tony sighed, and Wanda could see that he understood, he had lost his parents, he knew what it was like to suddenly feel alone. "Can't you do something? Get inside her mind and change…something…" he trailed off.

"I can't, Tony. Anything I did would be temporary. Coming to terms with all of this, the pain, the guilt – this is something that Roxanne must do for herself."

He nodded, "Thank you," and Wanda took that as her cue to leave.

"So, what do we do now?" Steve asked, looking between the billionaire and the doctor for answers.

Tony said nothing, but walking quickly from the room, only to reappear five minutes later with a pair of handcuffs in his grip. He headed towards the bed, sitting down, and carefully lifting Roxanne's wrist, attaching one cuff, before attaching the other to a link in the headboard.

"Is that really necessary?" Steve asked.

"Look, if she wakes up, and no one's around, this whole thing could happen again," he took another calming breath, brushing some fallen hair from his daughter's face, "I want her safe, Steve. And if that means I have to tie her to a bed, then that's what I'll do."

Tony looked over to Bruce, "How long before the sedative wears off?"

"Four, maybe five hours," Bruce replied, crossing his arms, "But, given the state she was in, it might take longer for her to wake up."

He nodded, and Steve could see that Tony was exhausted. "I'll stay with her for a while," he offered, raising a hand to silence Tony's oncoming protests, "Today has been a long day for you, and Roxanne isn't gonna be awake for a while yet, but when she is, I'm sure you want to be on top of your game. I'll stay with her for now, and if anything happens, I'll come get you."

The captain could see that he wanted to refuse, but ultimately, Tony knew this was for the best. "Fine."

Bruce and Tony left, and Steve pulled up a chair to the bedside. Looking up, he couldn't help but notice a shadow lingering by the door. He walked quietly over, "Tony, I told you I'd come get you if…" It wasn't Tony outside, but Wanda. "Something wrong?"

"She has fear for you too."

"What?"

Wanda's voice was low, as she looked over his shoulder at Roxanne, "I didn't think you'd want Tony to know."

"She's afraid of me?" Steve's brow furrowed.

But, Wanda shook her head. "No. But when she thinks of you, it makes her afraid."

"What does that mean?"

She shrugged, "I don't think she knows…and I'm not sure whether she's letting herself find out."

And with that, Wanda left Steve standing in the doorway of Roxanne's room, staring the woman inside, who was still an enigma to him. But, one that he would gladly try to solve, if only she'd let him in.

Rest felt good, as much as Roxanne hated to admit it. The previous day's events were somewhat hazy in her mind, but she knew what had happened – she knew what she'd done – and what she tried to do. So, it wasn't a huge surprise to find herself restrained when she woke. Tony moved, startled in his chair by her waking, and Roxanne looked between the cuff on her wrist, to the billionaire beside her bed.

"Isn't this a little old school for you?" she asked, voice husky and throat dry from sleeping so long.

"Needs must, kid. Don't want to lose you," and though he said it in a light tone, Roxanne could see the hurt in his eyes and feel the weight behind the words.

She didn't know what to say – what _could_ she say? She couldn't explain it, she couldn't lie about it. Luckily, she didn't have to think of anything, as Tony was eager to speak. "I need you to speak to someone about all this, Roxanne. It doesn't have to be me, but I need you to speak to _someone_. I can't, and I won't, watch you destroy yourself. I promised your mother I'd take care of you, and I know that that might not mean much to you right now, but I'm a man of my word."

Roxanne struggled to sit up, the cuff biting at her wrist as she did so, "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not," Tony shifted in his seat, so he could lean closer to his daughter, "And I wouldn't ask you to be. But, I want to help you Roxanne, and I need you to let me. No more running off, no more drinking yourself to death…please. For your own sake."

"Tony, I-"

He lifted a hand to cut her off, "Don't say anything yet…" he stuck a hand into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out an envelope. "First, read this."

He handed Roxanne the envelope, and she took it, immediately noticing her mother's handwriting. It was addressed to her, and she traced her finger along the shaky cursive with a sad smile. "Where did you get this?"

"She gave it to me. She told me that I'd know when it the right time to give it to you," Tony stood, resting a hand on his daughter's shoulder, "I'll give you some time."

Taking a deep breath, Roxanne slipped the paper out of the envelope, and unfolding it, she began to read…

 _'Roxanne,_

 _If you're reading this, I'm gone. Physically, anyway. You must always remember that there will be a part of me with you no matter what has happened to me. You're probably sitting there thinking that this is an easy thing for me to say, but know now that it isn't. This letter is the hardest thing I have ever had to write, but I do have to write it, sweetheart, because you need to hear it. You have always been stronger than you realise, so I have every belief that you will get through this, even if you don't think that you will. And it will be hard – for a long time – I won't pretend that it won't be, darling, but you mustn't feel that you have to numb your pain as you have in the past. The only way you can move through this dark time, is to feel. And I know that in your mind you must feel so alone, but you're not. You haven't known Tony for long, but like it or not, he's your father, and he'll be there for you every step of the way, if you can find a way to let him in. But, more than anything, I want you to promise me something – and don't think that I won't know if you lie – I want you to promise that you'll live the life I always wanted you to have, a life where you are happy, no matter what. I love you, Roxanne, more than words can say, and I will always be with you._

 _My love, forever and always,_

 _Mom xx'_


End file.
